The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-15
NUMBER 46.

the company like a stag as bay.
"NO !" he exclaimed, "no one sbal,
search my pockets! Would you doubt
the honor of s0ldier?"
but we have all done so.'' said
the rest, land every one knows 1t il
the merest accident ut the most.n
But the old soldier only held his arms
the tighter. while the color grew deep
er in his face. In mis- perplexity his
lordship thought OF another expedl-
ent.
1--WE will try another way, gentle
men," he said. II will order basket
OF bran to be brought, and propose
that each one in turn shall thrust his
hand into the bran. No one shall
look on, and if we find the box at
last, no one can gness whose hand
placed it there" Sc
1t was quietly done, and hand after
hand was thrust in, until at last came
the old soldiers turn once more. But
he Was nowhere to be seen.
Then, at last the Indignation of the
company broke forth.
"A soldier and hero of Waterloo,
and willing to Re thiefW and with
their distress about the affair, and his
lordship's grief at his loss, the even
ing was entirely spoiled.
Meantime the old soldier, with his
faithful cloak wrapped closely round
nm once more, was fighting his way
through the sharp winds and over
the noors again. But a battle against
something IA thousand times sharper
and colder was going on in his breast.
"A thief" he was saying over and
over to himself, "me who fought
close to the side of the Iron Duke !
And yet, can look one of them in
the face and tel him he lies ?''
The walk that had been gone over
so merrily was terrible one to re-
trace, and when the cottage was reach
ed. instead of the pride and good
luck the poor invalds had been
watching for, a gleam deadIier than
the fever followed him in. He sat in
the doorway as he used. but some-
times he hung his head on his breast,
and sometimes started up and walked
proudly about crying .t
Peggy say no one shall call me
a thief! am a soldier of the Iron
Duke!''
But they did call him a thief
though for Il very strange thing, after
his lordship had sorr0wJially ordered
the cottage and little garden spot to
be searched no box was found, and
the gloom and mystery grew deeper
together. ,-..
Good nursing could not balance
against trouble like this; the beauti.
fuI daughters faded and died, the
house was too gloomy to stay inside,
and if he escaped to the door, he had
to hear the passers say
"There sits the soldier who stole
the Butcher diamonds from his
host -
And as fthis was not enough, one
day the sound of ho0fs was heard
again, and a rider in uniform clatter.
ed up to the door saying: E
"Comrade, am sent to tell you
that your pension is stopped. His
Majesty cannot count thief any
longer soldier of his I"
After this the old soldier hardly
held up his head at all. and his hair,
that had kept black as coal ell these
years, turned white as the moors
when the winter SHOWS lay on them.
Though that is all the same, Peg
gy," he used to say. "for it is winter
all the year round with me! If I
could onl die as the old year does
That W. j he the thing !" ...
But long and merciless as the win
ter is, spring does come at last, if we
can but live and fight our way
through the storms and cold.
OHe day cry of fire raised all the
countryside. All but the old soldier.
He heard them say the castle was
burning, but what was that to him?
Nothing could burn away the re-
membrance that he had once been
called thief within its walls! But
the next morning he heard step
not II horses ho0f this time, but a
strong man walking towards him.
"Where is the veteran of Water
loo "' asked his lordship's voice, and
when the soldier stepped forward, he
threw his arms about his neck with
tears and sobs.
"Cnmrade," he said, 'come up to
the castleI The snuff. box is found,
and | want you to stand in the very
room where it was lost while / tell
everyone what great and sorrowful
wrong brave and honest soldier has
suffered at my hands ~ ...
It 1iI nnt taka ,,oo,., ,,xu.I-